It’s Barefoot Contessa’s Basmati Rice & Mustard-Roasted Fish Tonight ~
Basmati rice is my favorite rice probably because it is the rice used in Indian cuisine which is my favorite cuisine. So when I saw that Ina Garten has a Basmati rice recipe I had to try it. Ina says that if you simply follow the directions on the package, you may get “gummy and bland” rice. She promises her method will give you divine, fluffy, flavorful and “Perfect Basmati Rice”.
I can attest it was perfect basmati – or as close to perfect as you could possibly get. My favorite part is adding butter to the rice as you fluff it. I know that butter in rice is sacrilegious to some but for me it’s a sacrilege not to!
I paired the rice with broccoli and Ina’s mustard-roasted Mahi-Mahi. I’d made the recipe before using red snapper. The Mahi-Mahi was just as wonderful. Here’s the mustard-roasted fish recipe. from her Back to Basics cookbook.
Here’s the “Perfect Basmati Rice” recipe from Ina’s Cook Like a Pro cookbook:
2 cups basmati rice, such as Texmati Long Grain American Basmati rice
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
Rest a sieve in a bowl. Pour the rice in the sieve and fill the bowl with cold water, immersing the rice. Lift the sieve, discard the water, and repeat several times, until the water in the bowl is clear. Place the sieve with the rice back in the bowl, fill the bowl with water, and allow the rice to soak for 20 minutes. Drain well.
Heat the oil in a medium (8 x 4-inch) saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rice and salt and cook for one minute, until the rice is hot and the grains are covered with oil. Stir in the boiling water, raise the heat until it comes to a full rolling boil, lower the heat, cover tightly and simmer for 10 minutes exactly (you may need to pull the pot slightly off the heat to keep it at a simmer). Keep the lid on – don’t even peek! Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit with the lid on for 10 more minutes. Add the butter, fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot.
